BHOPAL: On the eve of AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the state, the Kamal Nath cabinet late on Thursday evening approved some major promises made in the party’s manifesto before the assembly elections. Farmers will get up to 10 HP of electricity at half the present tariff under the Indira Kisan Jyoti Yojana. In another decision, 62 lakh consumers with domestic electricity connection from the unorganised labour sector will get up to 100 units of power at Rs 100 only under the Indira Griha Jyoti Yojana. Cabinet also approved increasing social security pension for BPL senior citizens and widows from the existing Rs 300 to Rs 600 under the Indira Gandhi Vridhha Pension Yojana. Kamal Nath government also approved a scheme providing 100 days employment at a stipend of Rs 4,000 per month for unemployed urban youth in the state. In a fifth major decision, the government decided to give bar licences leniently in tourist destinations frequented by international tourists to generate revenue for state coffers. Religious places, however, will be left out of this which means the ban on liquor will continue in holy towns and near places of worship. Minister for urban administration Jaivardhan Singh claimed that Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide 100 days guaranteed employment for the unemployed urban youth. "An unemployed urban youth between the age of 21 and 30 years with a family income of less than Rs 2 lakh will get 100-days of training and employment under this new scheme," Jaivardhan Singh said. "There is no minimum qualification required to register but training will be given according to educational qualifications. Like a graduate will be given skill training in computers while a class 5 pass will be given training in other skills like electrical work or welding," Jaivadhan Singh said. "Registration to enrol for this scheme will start from February 10 at the 180 urban local bodies. The applicant will need to give his residential proof through Aadhar." Government claimed that 6.5 lakh youth will benefit from the scheme and the best performers under the skill training programme will also get placement opportunities. While youth registered under the programme will get Rs 13,000 stipend annually, the expenditure will amount to Rs 800 crore per year – 90% of which will be borne by the urban administration department and 10% by the urban local bodies. Saral Bijli Yojana of the former Shivraj Singh Chouhan BJP government will now be covered under the Indira Griha Jyoti Yojana. Minister for energy Priyavrat Singh argued that 62 lakh domestic consumers will benefit from the scheme out of which six lakh consumers were already getting the benefit of Saral Yojana under which they were getting a month’s power connection at flat rate of Rs 200.

Three lakh consumers are those who registered late for Saral Yojana and could not get benefits before the assembly elections because of imposition of model code of conduct. Out of the total beneficiaries 18 lakh are consumers of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories. State government will have to have a subsidy of Rs 2226 crore annually for implementation of this scheme. Twenty-seven lakh agricultural consumers will benefit from the Indira Kisan Jyoti Yojana and an additional two lakh farmers with temporary pump connections will also get the benefit of 50% reduced electricity bills. "Up to 10 HP, the bill has been halved from the present Rs 1400 per HP to Rs 700," said Priyavrat Singh. He added that the burden on the state exchequer will be Rs 667 crore . There will be eight lakh beneficiaries from the SC/ST categories and 19 lakh farmers from general category plus two lakh farmers with temporary connections.